Ecosystem restoration as a boundary object, demonstrated in a large-scale landscape restoration project in the Dovre Mountains, Norway

Abstract

Coordinating and implementing ecosystem restoration projects can be challenging when the professions involved have differing perceptions of ecological restoration and implementation in practice. To overcome these barriers in complex restoration projects, we suggest analysing ecosystem restoration as a boundary object, a concept drawn from the field of science and technology studies. We use a large scale restoration project in the Dovre Mountains of Norway to demonstrate the validity of using the boundary object concept in this context. The restoration involves a former military training area where the goal of the project was to protect and restore the environment and allow for civilian use. We examine how the different professions developed sufficient mutual understanding to make the project work. In particular, we explore the extent to which the perceptions of different professions overlap, the diversity of the perceptions in the project and how this might influence the outcome of the restoration. The boundary object concept offers potential to help improve restoration quality and reduce conflicts.

Public perceptions of ecological restoration within the context of Norwegian landscape management

“…Some projects have been implemented in recent years, including restoring a 165 km 2 military firing range to a national park. This project has received considerable media attention from when it began in 2009 up to its formal completion this year (Hagen et al 2013; Aasetre et al 2021). This may explain the greater familiarity with restoration among respondents from this region.…”

“…Many restoration endeavors entail a greater potential for conflict than traditional conservation. Whereas conservation approaches generally imply preservation of existing conditions, restoration represents an active form of land management that can turn an ecosystem into something that is dramatically different and unfamiliar (Bright et al 2002), or remove evidence of human activity that some perceive as positive and contribute to their sense of place (Aasetre et al 2021).…”

Towards a sustainable future: overcoming the challenges of post-war ecosystem reconstruction in Ukraine

“…Hupy (2008) discusses the close relationship between war and the natural environment, focusing on the landscape disruptions caused by modern warfare and the reasons behind the recent increase in such disruptions [5]. Leebaw (2014) [6], Douglas and Alie (2014) [7] and Lawrence et al (2015) [8], McQuillan and Francis (2019) [9], Stanturf (2021) [10] and Aasetre, Hagen, and Bye (2021) [11] stress the importance of understanding the ecological and social context of restoration efforts, engaging stakeholders and integrating restoration into integrated protected area management strategies. Palczewska (2022) highlights the losses to nature caused by wars, including the release of hazardous substances and ecological destruction, underlining the long-term challenges of restoring degraded ecosystems [12].…”

Tensions and Invisible Costs in Co-Creating Nature-Based Health Knowledge in Brussels

“…We speculated that health has a communicative and coordinating function among co-researchers with different positions and interests. Boundary objects seem useful in contexts of addressing diverse local needs [25] and forming a common identity in landscape-making [26]. In healthcare, the use of boundary objects seem to bring patients and practitioners together [27].…”